Article holder and method for making same



Oct. 14, 1958 J. PoclAsK 2,856,345

ARTICLE HOLDER AND METHOD FOR MAKING SAME Filed Sept. 25, 1956 Fig.1 23 .2

Jr/g Pot/40% United States Patent ARTICLE HOLDER AND METHOD FOR MAKING SAME John Pociask, Elmwood Park, 111., assignor to American Spring & Wire Specialty Co., Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application September 25, 1956, Serial No. 611,826

4 Claims. (Cl. 204-285) This invention relates to article holders and more particularly to a holder for supporting small articles such as ball bearings and the like in an electroplating bath.

Heretofore holders employed for supporting spheroidal objects in an electrolyte have included an elongated frame V-shaped in cross-section and bent at the upper end to form a hook for connection with a bus bar extending across the tank and an article retainer in the form of an elongated spring closed at the bottom and secured to the frame by means of welding at the points of contact with the frame of each convolution. A disadvantage of such an arrangement is that welding each convolution to the frame is tedious, time consuming and expensive. Another disadvantage of prior holders is that the welded joints often broke due to the inevitable impact with the articles carried and the fact that the con volutions were supported only by the weld. Furthermore, the V-shaped frame had to be specially made for this purpose.

Accordingly a principal object of the invention is to provide an article holder of the type described in which the above mentioned disadvantages are obviated.

A further object of the invention is to provide an article holder of the stated type which is characterized by ease and economy of manufacture and durability in use.

Another object of the invention is to provide an article holder for supporting anodal articles through an electrolyte which is characterized by convenience in form and improved functional characteristics.

Another object of the invention is to devise a method for efficiently manufacturing the article holder of the present invention.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent as the specification proceeds and with reference to the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of an article holder made in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevational view of the holder of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a sectional plan view taken along line III-III of Figure 1.

With reference to the drawing and more particularly to Figure 1, the article holder of the present invention comprises a frame, generally indicated by reference numeral desirably stamped from flat steel stock and having at its upper end an angularly upwardly extending portion 12 joining an angularly downwardly extending portion 14 which cooperates with the portion 12 to form a hook for connection to a bus bar (not shown) that supports a plurality of such holders immersed in an electrolytic solution having a cathode. The articles within the holder serve as anodes in the electroplating process, as will be understood.

The frame 10 has an elongated body portion 16 provided along one edge with a perpendicularly extending flange 18 which terminates at one end in spaced relation 2,856,345 Fatented Oct. 14, 1958 to the intersection with the portion 12 and at the other end in limited spaced relation to an outwardly bent portion 20. At the lower end of the bent portion 20 is 2. lug 22 extending perpendicularly to the plane of the body portion 16.

To the lug 22 is secured, as by spot welding or the like, an article retainer 24 which desirably takes the form of a helically wound wire. According to the present invention the flange 18 is provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced openings 26 and in these openings are received the successive convolutions of the retainer 24. By this arrangement, a positive connection is obtained between the frame 10 and the retainer 24 and yet sufficient movement of the retainer is afiorded to absorb the impact resulting from movement of the articles when loaded or unloaded.

The lower end of the retainer 24, as illustrated on the drawings, has converging convolutions which meet to form a substantially frusto-conical receptacle 27. The lower-most convolution of the retainer is spot welded to the surface of the lug 22 to enclose completely the receptacle 27 in which are received scale, sludge and oxides loosened from the articles during the plating process. For this purpose the converging convolutions are canted to one side, as seen best in Fig. 2, so that the lowermost convolution rests squarely on the lug 22.

According to the present method, the frame 10 may be stamped from flat metal stock, the flange 18, of course, being an offset portion coplanar with the remainder of the frame. The openings 26 are then punched, desirably simultaneously. These holes may, as will [be understood, be drilled, if desired. The offset portion 18 may then be bent along a longitudinal axis into a. position perpendicular to the body portion 16. The retainer 24 may then be wound into the openings 26, either manually or by machine, until the uppermost convolution defining the receptacle 27 abuts the lower edge of the flange 18. The bent portion 20 may then be formed and then the lug 22. The opposite end of the frame may then be bent to form the portions 12 and 14 which cooperate to form a hook for suspension of the holder in the electroyte.

It will be understood that the order of certain of the above steps may be varied if desired. For instance the hook may be formed before the portion 20 and lug 22, or both ends may be bent simultaneously. The present holder is constructed so that it may be completely bent into the form shown and the retainer 24' may then be slightly distorted for winding in the holes 26. After the retainer is wound to the home position, the spot welding of the lower convolution to the surface of the lug 22 may be eifected.

The article holder of the present invention is characterized by resiliency in that there are no rigid connections between the body of the retainer 24 and the frame body. When the holder is loaded or unloaded limited movement is afforded between the retainer convolutions and the frame, and thus the disadvantages of prior holders with rigid connections between the retainer convolutions and the frame body, are obviated.

It will be understood that various modifications and variations of the present invention may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts thereof.

I claim as my invention:

1. A holder for supporting small objects in an electrolytic bath comprising a frame bent at one end to from a hook for connection to a bus bar, said frame being elongated and having a bent portion at the other end terminating in a transversely extending lug, said frame having an inwardly extending flange terminating in spaced relation to each end thereof, and an elongated article retainer mounted on said frame, said article retainer being helical in conformation, said flange having a plurality of longitudinally spaced openings for loosely receiving successive convolutions of said retainer, one end of said retainer having meeting convolutions converging to form a substantially frusto-conical receptacle resting on said lug.

2. A holder for supporting small objects in an electrolytic bath comprising an elongated frame bent at one end to form a hook for connection to a bus bar, and an article retainer mounted on said frame, said frame having a projecting flange provided With a plurality of longitudinally spaced openings, said retainer being helical in form and having one convolution loosely received in each of said openings, the lower end of said retainer being closed to form a receptacle.

3. In a holder for supporting small objects in an electrolytic bath having a frame provided at one end with a hook for connection to a bus bar and having an elongated helical spring-like article retainer, the improvement comprising an elongated flange on said frame having a plurality of longitudinally spaced openings for loosely receiving successive convolutions of said retainer, said retainer having one end closed to form a receptacle.

4. An anode holder which comprises a metal strip having a hook end and a support end with a plurality of spaced holes along the length therebetween, and a coil spring having closed coils at one end converging to a small end coil on said support end of the strip and spaced coils loosely threaded through said holes, said spaced coils providing an open resilient support column for anode material to be freely acted upon by an electrolyte, said closed coils providing a receptacle to receive sludge from said column, and said hook and providing a hanger to suspend the strip from a bus bar.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,228,396 Bragman et al. June 5, 1917 1,622,143 Hope Mar. 22, 1927 1,868,052 Dubpernell July 19, 1932 

1. A HOLDER FOR SUPPORTING SMALL OBJECTS IN AN ELECTROYLTIC BATH COMPRISING A FRAME BENT AT ONE END TO FROM A HOOK FOR CONNECTION TO A BUS BAR, SAID FRAME BEING ELONGATED AND HAVING A BENT PORTION AT THE OTHER END TERMINATING IN A TRANSVERSELY FLANGE TERMINATING FRAME HAVING AN INWARDLY EXTENDING FLANGE TERMINATING IN SPACED RELATION TO EACH END THEREOF, AND AN ELONGATED ARTICLE RETAINER MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME, SAID ARTICLE RETAINER BEING HELICAL IN CONFORMATION, SAID FLANGE HAVING A PLURALITY OF LONGITUDINALLY SPACED OPENINGS FOR LOOSELY RECEIVING SUCCESSIVE CONVOLUTIONS OF SAID RETAINER, ONE END OF SAID RETAINER HAVING MEETING CONVOLUTIONS CONVERGING TO FORM A SUBSTANTIALLY FRUSTO-CONICAL RECEPTACLE RESTING ON SAID LUG. 